Archive for February 25, 2015

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Istanbul - For the first time, the Turkish government hosted a commemoration event for 768 Jews killed on the Struma refugee ship, which was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine in 1942 after Turkish authorities cast it adrift 15 km. off Istanbul.
Culture Minister Omer Celik represented the government at the ceremony held off the coast of Istanbul’s Sarayburnu district, where the Struma was...

New York - Bill O'Reilly's book publishers say they stand behind the Fox News Channel host's work despite questions that have been raised about his reporting.
O'Reilly's series of books about the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ have sold millions of copies and been turned into successful movies for the National Geographic channel. The latest adaptation, "Killing...

New York - New York may conduct random audits of bank systems designed to combat money laundering because of likely weaknesses in the systems, the state's chief financial services regulator said on Wednesday.
Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the state's Department of Financial Services, also said that senior bank executives may be required to personally attest that the systems are adequate...

New York - American Express Co is raising interest rates for a large number of its credit cards following a review that began a year ago, a company spokeswoman said.
The company's U.S. consumer credit cards, which have annual rates well below market rates, some as low as 3.25 percent, will be affected, Elizabeth Crosta said.
AmEx is raising its annual percentage rates by an average of 2.5...

New York - Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that he has not been subpoenaed or contacted by federal investigators probing Albany corruption, but he would not say if the same is true for his aides.
"Not myself," the Democratic governor said, in response to a reporter asking whether he or his staff had received a subpoena or been contacted. "You'd have to ask people individually."
When...

New York - As the Jewish community continues to marvel at what is possibly the only footage of the Chofetz Chaim, new details have emerged about the four minute fifty one second clip that has logged tens of thousands of hits on YouTube over the past 48 hours.
As previously reported on VIN News, a Fox newsreel of the first Knessia Gedola, held in Vienna in 1923, shows moving images of the...

West Bank - The Palestinians don’t have the money to compensate families of terror victims as ruled by a jury in New York earlier this week, PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said Tuesday.
Ashrawi’s announcement came in response to the jury’s verdict, which found the PLO and the Palestinian Authority liable for supporting terrorist attacks in Israel more than a decade...

Miami - A $100 million settlement has been reached between three major tobacco companies and hundreds of people who sued them for smoking-related deaths and illnesses in Florida federal court.
The tentative agreement announced Wednesday involves R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Philip Morris USA Inc. and Lorillard Tobacco Co. The deal resolves about 400 cases pending before a federal judge in...

United Nations - The United Nations and Palestinians condemned the torching of a mosque in the West Bank village of Al-Jab’a before dawn Wednesday, in what police believe is likely an act of vandalism carried out by far-right extremists.
“I am concerned by this and all other religiously motivated attacks and provocations by any party, which may further inflame an already volatile...

New York - Businessman Donald Trump is ramping up efforts for a 2016 presidential run, adding to a growing pool of potential Republican candidates, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Trump, whose wealth includes a huge real estate portfolio, several hotels and the TV show "The Apprentice," has toyed with the possibility of running for president before, but never actually entered the...

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he respects President Barack Obama but stressed he has no choice but to travel to America to lobby against a nuclear deal with Iran.
"I respect the White House and the US president but on a serious subject, it's my duty to do everything for Israel's security," Netanyahu said during a campaign rally at a West Bank...

New York - Uber is partnering with hotel chain Starwood to give riders a bit more incentive to choose the ride-hailing service over a taxi.
Uber passengers can now earn one Starwood rewards point for each dollar they spend on a ride in a car found through the San Francisco-based company's mobile app. Guests spending the night at one of Starwood's 1,200 hotels will earn two to four points per...

Brooklyn, NY - A Brooklyn maraschino cherry processor is under investigation after hidden marijuana plants were discovered in the family-owned business and its owner committed suicide while authorities were searching the premises during an unrelated raid, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
State and city environmental investigators descended on Dell's Maraschino Cherries on Tuesday to look into...

New York - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling the arrests of three men on charges of plotting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group "a very sensitive situation."
Authorities said one of the men was arrested Wednesday at Kennedy Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul.
A second suspect was arrested in Brooklyn and a third in Florida.
They are...

New York - The Dow Jones industrial average managed another record high close, but just barely, even as other market indexes edged lower.
Traders were watching another day of testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and monitoring earnings news from several big U.S. companies.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 15 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,224.
The Standard & Poor's 500...